Hi Auntie Momoza, please keep me anonymous.
I am a 22-year-old university student living positively with HIV. This message is for my fellow HIV-positive ladies: my advice to you is to disclose your status early in a relationship. I almost lost the love of my life because I was advised not to disclose and just enjoy the relationship.
The guy and I had agreed to use condoms. However, during intimacy he put one on but removed it without my knowledge. By the time I realized, it was too late.
Although my viral load is undetectable, the thought of how hurt he would be if he found out I had kept my status from him made me restless. The next day, I encouraged him to take PEP just to be on the safe side, and he did.
I was heartbroken when he asked for a break, but a few days later, he came back, apologized, and reassured me that he didn’t blame me for anything. We are happy now, and he has even promised to start taking PrEP once he finishes his PEP treatment. He has a great career, he’s handsome, and he accepts me for who I am.
I’m sharing this to encourage my fellow HIV-positive ladies: there is light at the end of the tunnel. Do not start your relationships based on lies. If someone truly loves you, they will accept you as you are. I had lost hope in finding love, but now I’m happy to have found someone who sees me for who I truly am, acknowledges my beauty, and doesn’t let my status define me.
Date Men who are kind, educated and willing to research about HIV because we are too beautiful to be dating people who think they are doing a favour for us. We all deserve to be loved.